Hitch or clevis for dragline buckets



the draglinc bucket,

" has side walls Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PORATION, OF MILWAUKEE,

WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

HITCH OB CLEVIS FOR DBAGLINE BUCKETS.

Application filed December 20, 1928. Serial No. 155,985.

This invention relates in general to excavating buckets and more particularly to hitches or clevises for dragline buckets.

()ne of the principal objects of the present invention resides in the provision on a dragline bucket of a hitch or clevis arrangement for the dragline which is rugged and durable in construction, which has a range of :ttljUStl'llQIll) adequate to meet the needs of which may be conveniently and easily adjusted and which is so constructed and organized as to place the load and stress on parts best adapted to bear the same.

Another object is to provide a device of this character made up of a minimum number of parts and adapted to he nianutactnrcd and applied to the bucket at a comparatively slight expense.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will he hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which: t

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing a bucket equip ed with a pair of clevises or hitches em odyiug the present invention Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the liiucket shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section on line 3--3 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 4 is a view in vertical 4*): of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the plates employed to make up the attaching bracket of the clevis.

Referring to the drawing wherein for the sake of illustration is shown one embodiment of the invention. the numeral 1 designates generally a dragline bucket. The bucket 1 2 and at the'forward end of each side wall a hitch or clevis 3 embodying the present invention is provided.

Each hitch or clevis comprises a bracket made up of a pair of side plates 4, one side plate 4 having its rearward portion fitted flush against the outer face of its side wall 2 section on line of the bucket and the other side plate 4 having its rearward portion fitted flush against the inner face of the same side wall The side plates at of each clevis are in this manner opposed and are rigidly secured in assembled relation with respect to each other and with respect to the bucket by means of rivets 5 passing through the side plates -1 and through the portion of the bucket interposed between these plates. As shown in the drawing, the forward portion of the side plates 4 of each clevis or hitch are thickened and project beyond the forward end of the side wall of the bucket on which they are. mounted and these projecting portions of the side plates are spaced from each other and have their confronting walls formed with transversely aligned vertical slots 6. The forward wall of each sloth is provided with a plurality of grooves or arcuate recesses 7. Preferably, three recesses 7 are provided in each side plate 4 and are slightly spaced one above the other. The recesses of one plate are transversely aligned with the recesses of the other plate and the opposed recesses together constitute seats, as will hereinafter more clearly appear. are integrally formed with'the side plates 4 to strengthen these plates.

Each ln'acket has a clevis, designated generally at 10, associated therewith, each clevis being of substantially U-shape and having legs 11 provided at their rearward ends with integral enlargements in the form of laterally directed bearing lugs or members 12, the

hearing lugs 12 having rounded front faces 13 which cooperate with the seats constituted by the curved recesses 7. The forward ends of the legs 11 of the clevises are connected by means of a curved body portion 15. These legs 11. extend through and are freely shi'ltable in the space between the forward ends of the side plates 4. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the forward portions of the clevises are offset inwardly.

For the purpose of preventing the hearing lugs 12 of the clevis from being displaced from operative relation with respect to the seat with which it is associated, a holding pin, designated at 16, is providedand is inserted through any one of a series of pairs ll of openings 18 provided in the side plates of the bracket and through a socket 19 pr. vided in the clevis :nd concentric with the curved boa inn surface 13 thereof.

As clearly shown in llin'ure 4, the socket 19 is formed, by transversely rccessing the conit'rontiug portions of the legs 11. and too lugs 12, and while the socket thus tormcd. has only partial angular extent, it has sutlicient annular extent to retain the pin .16 therein. There is, however, clearance between the pin 16 and the wall ot the socket to prevent any heavy strain tron! heinei taken by the pin 16. The bearing lugs 12 and their scat; take all heavy sir: in.

It is to be undcrqood that three sols oi openings 18 are provided, that th re is one pair of openings 18 for each pair cl seats 7. Each pair of o nningrs 18 is located reairwardly otf its seats and in horizontal aligrunent therewith. The pin 16 is releasably held in operative engggagcnicnt with any pair of openings 18 by means of a nut 20 threaded on one end oi the pin and secured against accidental displaccinont by a cotter pin or the like, designated at El.

To secure a vertical. :nljnstincnt of the clevis it is necessary only to remove the pin 16 by taking off its nut- 20 and pulling it axially from its openings 18 and the socket 19 ot'thc clcvis. The clevis may then b Inoved reari'ardly to disengage the bearingsurfaces of the lugs 12 from the seat pr vidcd by the recesses 7 on which it has been mounted. W'ith these parts disengaged the clevis may be adjusted vertically to align it with any one of theseats, and alter it has been associated with the desired seat, the pin 16 is reinserted and the nut 2t) again threaded on the pin to complete the adjuntinent. Assembly of the parts in the first instance is provided by virtue of the exten sion oil? the slots l5 entirely through the side plates.

\Vith this construction, the load is taken on substantial. portions of the bucket and clevis in all anljustnients, and yet the clcvis Ina-y swing freely in any adj ustnient and is adjusted along the b 'ackct as may be de sired.

The invention claimed is:

1. A hitch for dranlino buckets comprisinna bracket :n'lapted to be secured to the bucket and having a plu 'ality of vertically spaced internal seats, the structure or the bracket substantially ci'iclosing said seats 1 clevis having llltlJlS cngagrcablc with any one of said seats and means for preventinp the clevis from being displaccd from opcr-- at-ive relation with respect to the seat with which it is associated.

2. A hitch for dragline buckets coinprising a bracket made up o'la pair of similar side plates having confronting slots extending only part way through the same in a,

transverse direction and opening inwardly whereby the slots are SlllJftllitlHllj l enclosed, said side plates also having a plurality of pairs of sails, a clcvis having an enlarged rearward portion acconnnodatcil in the slots of tho side platcs and having; roundcd ruril'accs selectively cngagrcablc with the seats the itorward ends oi the side plates being spaced to accommodate the forward portion of the clcvin, and means tor holding the clevis engaged with any one oi t! c seals.

3. A hitch for dragline buckets comprising: a lrackot made up or" a pair of similar side plates having conlrontingr slots and a plurality ot pairs at sci ta, a clcvis having an cnla gred rearward portion acconnnoilatcd in the slots ot' the side plates and having rounded siu'iaccs nelcci i rely cnn'agmfhle with the seats the forward ends ol. the side plates being spaced to acconnnodate the forward portion of the clevis, and means for holding: the clevis engaged with any one of the seats and comprising a pin, said clevis having a socket through which said pin is passed, said socket being larger than the pin to rclieve the pin of any nlalta-ial strain, said plates having a plurality of pairs of transverse openings aligned with the seats with which the pin is :-:elcctivcly cngagcable.

4t. A hitch for draglinc buckets comprising a pair of? side plates having; their rearward ends adapted to be secured to the bucket, the forward cuts of the plates projecting beyond the bucket and being formed with late rlly and. inwardly extending projections which extend towards but terminate in spaced relation with respect to each other, a clevis crttendhn;- in between the inward lateral projections and having at its inner end lateral enlargements engaged with the ini'ard projections of the plates to afford an opcrrtive connection l'ictwcen the clevin and. in runs tor nniinlainingr the the bracket and operative comicclion between the clcvis and the b 'acket.

5. A hitch l'or draglino buckets comprising 2, pair o't similar side plates having their rearward ends adapted to be secured to the forward end of the side all. oi? the bucket, the forward ends oil the plates projectinn beyond the bucket and being provided with confronting slots and spaced forward extremities, the forward cxtrcniitics having pairs of inwardly opcnil'rc recesses of arcuale 'lorni, said 'l.cce:-:-1es providing a plurality of vertically spaced seals, a U-shapcd clov's disposed between the spaced torwanl extremities and having its legs formed at thci r rearward. ends with cnlargcnlcnts ha ving arcuato b nri 11g surfaces coopc fable with the seats, and means tor holding the clevis engaged with any of the seats while permitting movement of the clevis on its seat.

6. A hitch :tor dran'line buckets comprising a b 'acket adapted to be secured to the bucket and made up of a pair of plates having their forward endsprojecting beyond the bucket and provided with inwardly extending lateral projections recessed internally to provide a plurality of vertically spaced seats and a clevis having rounded lugs engageable with the seats.

7. A hitch for dragline buckets comprising a bracket having an internal and substantially enclosed rounded seat and a clevis having an enlarged rear end portion provided with rounded lugs engageable with said seat. a y

8. A hitch for dragline buckets comprising a bracket having an internal rounded seat and a clevis having an enlarged rear end portion provided with rounded lugs en gageable with said seat and means for preventing disengagement of the lugs of the clevis from the seat of the bracket while permitting the lugs and seat to take all of the load and strain.

9. A hitch for dragline buckets com rising a bracket attached to the bucket and laving an opening therein and also having a plurality of spaced rounded seats adjacent the opening, a clevis having an enlargement provided with a rounded bearing surface selectively engageable "with the rounded seats, and separate and releasable positive means loosely interconnected with the clevis and bracket to prevent operative disasseciation of the bearing surface from the selected seat while permitting the enlargement and bracket to take all the load.

In witness whereof, I hereto aflix my signature.

ROLF LJUNGKULL. 

